Comics Bundle: 07.22.09 Pt. 1

I rarely pull my comics on time. Hence I always end up with a pile of books during weekends. But this week's bundle, worth 7 weeks of comic book releases, is just too enormous for me. So, as per usual, I'm just gonna write a pithy review of all the Marvel books that I liked and get back into reading the rest of my bundle.

Avengers: The Initiative #26
8.4 of 10
I almost canceled this title off my pull sheet. But I'm glad I didn't because it really got interesting, now that Taskmaster and The Hood are both in charge of the newly restructured Initiative. Like most of Osborn's Dark Reign teams (Dark Avengers and Dark X-Men), the Initiative has also become a twisted version of its former self. Instead of training heroes to become proper heroes, it's now teaching B-list villains on how to become better villains but act as heroes in the public eye. Just as The Hood had said, it's the guys in suits and power who rip-off the public much worse than the common criminal.

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1
8.5 of 10
The X-Men titles have always tackled bigotry and defended those who are a bit different in their stories. That's why, as a minority and whose taste differs from the norm, it's my favorite comic book, even though its quality have degraded. The latest Marvel event, a Dark Avengers and X-Men crossover, entitled Utopia, explores the same themes. But what makes it really special is its setting, as it pays homage to the struggle of gay rights back when Anita Bryant marched into the streets of San Francisco and when they banned same-sex marriage just a few months ago. Plus, the art of Marc Silvestri here is just awesome.

Deadpool #12
8.4 of 10
In the past couple issues, Deadpool had the opportunity to meet with his past "frenemies". First it was Taskmaster, whom he asked to help him fight the Thunderbolts. Now, in the latest story arc, Norman Osborn sends Bullseye to assasinate our hero. Since Bullseye and Deadpool had been rivals in the past, and that they're both crazy, this arc turned out to be a lot of fun. There's just a lot of violent slapstick humor and crazy dialogues between the two characters that readers don't want to miss.

Runaways #12
9.0 of 10
Runaways Vol.3 pretty much had a rocky start. While the books still has its teenage charm, it just doesn't hold a candle if compared to the series when Brian K. Vaughn was still on the reins. But the new team -composed of all female- had a very promising debut. They've already killed a member and now, on this issue, they're showing us that, despite they've been together for so long, the team still don't know each other that well. If this goodness continues -and I hope it will- this new team will definitely put the Runaways back on track.

Thor #602
9.5 of 10
As always, JM Stratczynski did a marvelous job with another issue of Thor. But what I really love about this issue is that William and Kelda had some significant face time. What I didn't like about this is that it's missing Oliver Copiel's art work. Nonetheless, Djurdjevic's work is still pretty decent.

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I was actually able to pull my comics much earlier this time (3 weeks worth of comics instead of 4). However, I didn't finish reading my Marvel comics bundle until earlier today. That's because I've been in too deep with Warhammer Online lately and everything seems to be on hold (reading, music, books and this blog). But that's okay, I'm having a blast playing WAR.

Anyways, for some reason, most of the Marvel titles on this current pull sucked. So there's really nothing much I can say about them.

Runaways #10
9.0 of 10
One thing about the Runaways is that they have a bit of everything in the group. An alien, a mutant, an android and a witch. So you could basically tie them to every section in the Marvel universe, from cosmic to mutant. In this issue, the gang gets tied up with the mutants as Molly heads to San Francisco to answer Emma Frost's rally call (as seen in the Manifest Destiny arc of Uncanny X-Men). This is a really fun issue as Molly gets a tour inside the new X-Men facility, and her guide is none other than Wolverine. The rest of the Runaways get to have their fun too as they get to hang out with the Young X-Men.

The New Avengers #53
7.0 of 10
Weak. That's all I can say about this issue, and the whole arc as well. I was pretty stoked when this arc was announced. Mainly because I was hoping that they'd make either Scarlett Witch or Nico Minoru (Runaways) to be the next Sorceress Supreme. Instead, they picked someone else, who was on the bottom of my list, to become the numero uno magickero. The only consolation here is knowing that the team will finally move on to the next arc. Hopefully, to tackle Osborn.

The Dark Avengers #5
8.0 of 10
I really loved this book during its debut. I liked how they tainted and mocked the Avengers title by injecting a bunch of crazy and quirky characters from the Thunderbolts. However, in the past couple issues, the only character being crazy and quirky enough is Osborn. And in this issue he just outshines everybody when he gave his speech to defend his Avengers and debunk Clint Barton's accusations. However, it is getting clear that this book is slowly slipping down the gutters. The content is not worth the price any longer.

Avengers: The Initiative #24
7.7 of 10
This book have been on my pull sheet since I started reading comics again. Admittedly, however, I don't remember any stories featured in the Initiative besides the Secret Invasion arc. The characters are forgettable as well since there's too many of them, and none holds the spotlight. So just when I decided to cancel this book from my pull list, something pivotal happens in this issue. Norman Osborn relinquished the control of the Initiative to Taskmaster (Deadpool's buddy as well as mortal enemy). I guess I'm going to give this book another shot.

X-Men #510
7.5 of 10
This issue concludes that attack of The Sisterhood on Graymalkin Industries, which is the new X-Men headquarters in San Francisco. Nothing big happened in here except that The Sisterhood got a lock of Jean Grey's hair. So they're probably going to resurrect her. Oh, Emma Frost rocks in this issue as well, both literally and figuratively.

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By now, you guys probably know that I'm always late with my comic reviews. So I'm not gonna apologize for my tardiness anymore. Anyways, I kinda of noticed that there were a lot of Avengers and Deadpool appreances in this bundle. That's fine by me though. Because more Deadpool means more fun.

Secret Warriors #2
9.0 of 10
The first issue of Secret Warriors hit me like Mjolnir. So far, I think it's an audacious series with the most audacious plot that Marvel has put into play. Like the kind of audacity that will shake the foundations of the Marvel Universe. Unfortunately, I won't reveal any of the plot details in issue #1 and #2, they're just too precious. Let's just say that the issue #1 was followed up nicely in issue #2 by introducing what Nick Fury and his kids will be facing, a revisioned and reinvigorated Hydra.

Deadpool: Games of Death #1
8.7 of 10
This one-shot issue is definitely the funniest, most violent Deadpool comics I've read since he came back. Hired by a man -known as Mr. Kilgore- to track down his only son, The Merc with the Mouth ends up disguising as an old martial arts master and participating in an illegal reality-TV show that pits its contestants to a game of death. The whole deathmatch setting is a playground to Deadpool's insanity. There's a lot of slapstick humor, blood and decapitation that will keep you entertained.

Thunderbolts #130
8.4 of 10
Deadpool, like Wolverine, is almost everywhere these days. He have an ongoing series, an upcoming mini-series, an appreance in the Messiah War and a crossover with the Thunderbolts. So far, the first issue of Thunderbolts/Deadpool crossover is an enjoyable one. I really liked it because it has lots of humor and action, it actually feels more like Deadpool book than a Thunderbolts. Plus, Deadpool owns Thunderbolts' face too. The only thing I didn't like about it is perhaps the art.

The New Avengers #51
8.0 of 10
A few months ago, when Marvel announced that Dr. Strange will select a new Sorcerer Supreme in The New Avengers #51, I've been dying to get my hands on this issue. However, now that I've actually read the issue, everything was just a hype. The only saving grace in this issue is the part where Spider-Man revealed his alter ego to the rest of the New Avengers. Albeit short, it was a fun moment to read.

Runaways #8
8.0 of 10
Runaways is probably one of my favorite comic book series. It's just a fun title to read because it lets teenagers act like teenagers, even though they have superhuman abilities. I must admit, however, without Brian K. Vauhgn in its helm, the series is not what it's used to be. Fortunately, this issue (and also the last) have been an enjoyable read. The kids are acting like their kids again and they also face a new enemy: Van Rhymin, the shock-jock who's been turning the silicone enhanced residents of LA into zombies. Now what's more fun than that?

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Upcoming Comics-to-Films That I Want To See

It's good to be a comic aficionado and a movie goer in these times. Why, you say? Well both are the cheapest sort of entertainment, and comics to film adaptation are plenty nowadays. 2008, especially, saw a rise of good comics to film. We saw great movies like Wanted, Hulk, Iron Man and, of course, The Dark Knight. But, the fun doesn't stop there. Besides sequels to Iron Man and The Dark Knight, there are many more comics to film that are coming out this year and the next. So, having said that, here's a few comics-to-film that I'm looking forward to see.

8. Fathom

I don't know anything about this comic-book. Except that, the story revolves around the race of people that lives underwater, its pages are rife with well-drawn bikini clad women that can make love starved comic geeks go nuts. Admittedly, I'm only interested in this film because I want to see Megan Fox, an aesthetically perfect choice to play Aspen Matthews, wet and wild in a skinny mini bikini.

7. Avengers

One of the biggest team in comics is finally coming to the big screen. At first, I actually thought that this was impossible to make without being campy. But after reading Mark Millar's (Wanted) The Ultimates, and saw what they did with Iron Man and Hulk, the idea of an Avengers film isn't too far-fetched anymore. In addition, Marvel is also smart enough to release films for each major characters, but still tying them altogether, before the big team up.

6. Thor

I wasn't a big fan of Thor before. But after reading an issue of Thor volume 3, by J.M. Straczynski and Oliver Copiel, I was blown away by the writing and the art, and Thor become one of my favorite comic-book characters. However, as much as I love the original version (Earth 616) of Thor, I wish that the film will be using the origin of Ultimate Thor instead. Film wise, Ultimate Thor is just much more dimensional and realistic.

5. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

A lot of people know that I'm a G.I. Joe geek. I've been a collector of toys and comics since my grade school days. So I've been waiting for this film since...forever. But, honestly, I can't look at the stills of this film, or even think about it, without reminding me of the campiness that Street Fighter hit me with. Well, at least, all the female characters look good, and they were decent enough to cast a real model (Karolina Kurkova) to play Cover Girl and a real fighter (Ray Park, a.k.a. Darth Maul) to play Snake Eyes.

4. Y: The Last Man

This is probably one of the best stories I've ever read in comics. That's why I'm so excited about the movie. The comic-book is about the only man who survived a mysterious plague that caused the death of all males. Men have this fantasy of being the only guy alive so they can have all the chicks. I used to have that fantasy too. But this series changed all that. If you wish that you're the only guy alive, then just think about those ugly girls running after your balls.

3. Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass may only be five issues young but, I'll bet you my four meager paychecks, this movie will, literally and figuratively, kick some ass. The book, written by Mark Millar, the guy who also wrote Wanted, is about a comic-book geek who decides to become a superhero. He has no superpowers, fighting skills, or gadgets to help him. He only has his ambition, a YouTube video that made him popular, and a MySpace account so people can reach him. This film is about comic book guys, made by comic guys, for comic book guys.

2. Runaways

This is the coolest and spunkiest comic-book title I've ever read. It's about a group of teenagers who ran away from their homes when they discovered that their parents are villains who plans to destroy the world. But why I'm really looking forward to see this film is because I want to know who'll play Nico Minoru. She's the leader of the team, a Japanese girl with an affinity to dark magic, and I have a nerd love for her.

1. Watchmen

I don't have to say anything about this film. Except, maybe, that it's the greatest graphic novel, written by one of the best comic-book writers, and now it's coming to the theaters. Read it, watch it, love it.

So these are the comics to film I'm looking forward to see. Some of them already have their release dates schedule but most are still in pre-production stage. So we might not see most of the films I listed in here.

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